Guerlain is among the oldest
perfumePerfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces a "pleasant" smell.-History:...
houses in the world. It has a large and loyal customer following, and is held in high esteem in the perfume industry. Perfumes by Guerlain are often said to be inspired by the scent of confections, as a result of a common
vanillaVanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids of the genus Vanilla native to Mexico. Etymologically, vanilla derives from the Spanish word "", little pod. Originally cultivated by Pre-Columbian Mesoamerican peoples, Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés is credited with introducing both the spice and...
and
amberAmbergris is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull gray or blackish color produced in the digestive system of sperm whales.Ambergris has a peculiar sweet, earthy odor...
accord in many of their fragrances. This unique attribute is often referred to as the "Guerlinade". A perfume by the same name was launched by Guerlain in 1921.
History
The House of Guerlain was owned and managed by members of the Guerlain family from 1828 to 1994. It was acquired in 1994 by the
LVMHLVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton S.A. , usually shortened to LVMH, is a French holding company and one of the world's largest luxury goods conglomerates. It is the parent of around 60 sub-companies that each manage a small number of prestigious brands. These daughter companies are, to a large...
group, a multinational investment corporation specializing in luxury brands.
The beginning
The House of Guerlain was founded in 1828, when Pierre-François Pascal Guerlain opened his perfume store on 42, rue de Rivoli in
ParisParis is the capital of France and the country's most populous city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. As both the founder and first perfumer of the house, Pierre-François composed and manufactured custom fragrances with the help of his two sons, Aimé and Gabriel. Through continued success and the patronage of members in high society, Guerlain opened its flagship store at 15, rue de la Paix in 1840, and put its mark on the Parisian fashion scene.
The success of the house under Pierre-François peaked in 1853 with the creation of
Eau de Cologne Impériale. This perfume earned Pierre-François the prestigious title of being His Majesty's Official Perfumer (France), which lead him to create perfumes for Queen Victoria of the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
and Queen Isabella II of
SpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.
[The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though España , Estado español and Nación española are used interchangeably...]
, among other royalty.
The Second Generation
With the death of Pierre-François in 1864, the house was left to Aimé Guerlain and Gabriel Guerlain. The roles of perfumer and manager were divided between the two brothers, with Gabriel managing and further expanding the house, and Aimé becoming the master perfumer. As such, the House of Guerlain began a long tradition where the position of master perfumer was handed down through the Guerlain family.
As Guerlain's second generation in-house perfumer, Aimé was the creator of many classic compositions, including
Fleur d'Italie (1884),
Rococo (1887) and
Eau de cologne du coq (1894). However, many would argue that his greatest composition was
Jicky (1889).
The Third Generation
The business was handed down to the sons of Gabriel Guerlain: Jacques Guerlain and Pierre Guerlain. Jacques became Guerlain's third master perfumer in line; he was the author of many Guerlain classics, which are still held in high esteem in the modern perfume industry. Many of his perfumes are still sold and marketed today.
Among Jacques Guerlain's most famous and popular creations are
Eau du Coq (1894),
Mouchoir de Monsieur (1904),
Après L'Ondée (1906),
L'Heure Bleue (1912),
MitsoukoMitsouko is a 1919 perfume by Guerlain. Its name is derived from the French transliteration of a Japanese female personal name. Its top notes are a fruity chypre, with floral middle notes and spice base notes.-History:...
(1919), and Guerlain's flagship fragrance
Shalimar (1925).
Jacques Guerlain also composed
Vol de Nuit (1933) (a heavy oriental) as a tribute to
Antoine de Saint-ExupéryAntoine de Saint Exupéry was a French writer and aviator. He is best remembered for his novella The Little Prince, and for his books about aviation adventures, including Night Flight and Wind, Sand and Stars....
and
Air FranceAir France is a French airline headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, France , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
.
Ode (1955), a floral perfume similar to the likes of
JoyJoy is a perfume created for Parisian couturier Jean Patou by perfumer Henri Alméras in 1929. It is considered to be one of the greatest fragrances created and is a landmark example of the floral genre in perfumery.....
by
Jean PatouJean Patou was a French fashion designer.- Early life :Patou was born in Normandy, France in 1880. Patou's family's business was in tanning and furs. Patou worked with his uncle in Normandy, then moved to Paris in 1910, intent on becoming a couturier.-1910s - World War I and later:In 1912 he...
, was the last perfume composition by Jacques Guerlain. The composition of
Ode was helped by his grandson, the then-18-year-old Jean-Paul Guerlain.
The Fourth Generation
Jean-Paul Guerlain was the last family master perfumer. He created Guerlain's classic men's fragrances
Vétiver (1959) and
Habit Rouge (1965); the latter is considered by many to be the first male oriental fragrance. He also created
Nahéma (1979),
Jardins de Bagatelle (1983), and
Samsara (1989), as well as
Héritage and
Coriolan in the 1990s.
With the retirement of Jean-Paul in 2002, and no heir from inside the family to take over, the role of master perfumer is no longer tied to family succession.
Guerlain/LVMH Group
Following the acquisition of Guerlain by
LVMHLVMH Moët Hennessy • Louis Vuitton S.A. , usually shortened to LVMH, is a French holding company and one of the world's largest luxury goods conglomerates. It is the parent of around 60 sub-companies that each manage a small number of prestigious brands. These daughter companies are, to a large...
in 1994, perfumers outside of the family have been hired to compose perfumes for Guerlain:
- Mathilde Laurent worked as a perfumer for Guerlain. She composed Pamplelune (1999) and Shalimar Light (2003). Authorship of the latter has since been reattributed to Jean-Paul Guerlain and relaunched in 2004, after formula changes in the perfume.
- Maurice Roucel
Maurice Roucel is a contemporary perfumer who has worked at companies IFF, Quest, Dragoco and presently Symrise. Roucel began his career in perfumery on February 19th, 1973 while working as the head chromatography chemist at Chanel for 6 years. He commenced his apprenticeship under Henri Robert,...
, a perfumer of SymriseSymrise is a major producer of flavors and fragrances with sales of € 1,230 million in 2006 . Major competitors include Firmenich, Givaudan, International Flavors and Fragrances and Takasago International.-History:...
, composed L'Instant de Guerlain (2004) and Insolence (2006).
In May 2008
Thierry WasserThierry Wasser is a contemporary perfumer who as of 2008 was appointed as the in-house perfumer of Guerlain. Prior to this he worked under the fragrance firms Firmenich and Givaudan....
was named the in-house perfumer for Guerlain and effective starting June 2008. Wasser, a
SwissSwitzerland , officially the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 states named cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities...
perfumer who used to work for
FirmenichFirmenich SA is a private business specialising in flavors and fragrances and is a major worldwide chemical manufacturer. Their fragrances and flavors are generally used in perfumes, cosmetics, beverages, food, and other household products. Worldwide, Firmenich currently employs approximately...
, has created
Iris Ganache and
Quand Vient la Pluie for Guerlain before the appointment. Jean-Paul Guerlain is staying on in an advisory role, as a counselor to the presidency, for both fragrance design and ingredients. Wasser will work closely with Sylvaine Delacourte, Guerlain's Artistic Director.
Famous perfumes
- Jicky (1889): Said to named after the nicknameAimé Guerlain gave to his nephew, Jacques, or after a girl who broke Aimé's heart as a student in England; Jicky proved to be a great success in its time of creation, and remained popular ever since. Widely heralded as the first "modern" perfume, Jicky was among the first perfumes to incorporate synthetic odorants (vanillin
Vanillin, , is an organic compound with the molecular formula C
8H
8O
3. Its functional groups include aldehyde, ether, and phenol. It is the primary component of the extract of the vanilla bean. It is also found in roasted coffee and the Chinese red pine...
and coumarinCoumarin is a chemical compound found in many plants, notably in high concentration in the tonka bean , vanilla grass , woodruff , mullein , and sweet grass...
) in its composition, and is described by some as being the "ultimate" fougèreFougère, meaning "fern-like", is one of the main families into which modern perfumes are classified, with the name derived from the perfume Fougère Royale for Houbigant formulated by the perfumer Paul Parquet. The class of fragrances have the basic accord with a top-note of lavender and base-notes...
. Although marketed by Guerlain as a women's fragrance, it has proven popular with men.
- Après L'Ondée (1906): Meaning "After the Heavy (Summer) Shower", Après L'Ondée is reminiscent of bitter almonds. Its composition includes violet, rose, hawthorn and hesperidic notes.
- L'Heure Bleue (1912): Meaning "The Blue Hour
The blue hour comes from a French expression , which refers to twilight, the period each morning and evening where there is neither full daylight nor complete darkness...
", L'Heure Bleue is perfume with the dusky scent of candies and almond cake bought in an old world apothecary. Although much akin to Après L'Ondée in its pastry and almonds core, L'Heure Bleue is much less bright and more melancholic.
- Mitsouko
Mitsouko is a 1919 perfume by Guerlain. Its name is derived from the French transliteration of a Japanese female personal name. Its top notes are a fruity chypre, with floral middle notes and spice base notes.-History:...
(1919): Named after the heroine of the novel "La Bataille" by Claude FarrèreClaude Farrère was a French author of novels set in such exotic locations as Istanbul, Saigon, and Nagasaki. One of his novels, Les civilisés won the first Prix Goncourt, for 1905. He was elected for a chair at the Académie Française on 26 March 1935...
, Mitsouko is said to herald the ending of World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
. Since it uses a similarly styled bottle as L'Heure Bleue, Mitsouko was likely composed as warm counterpart to the cool L'Heure Bleue. Mitsouko has the sweet smell of peach preserves and glazed danishes.
- Shalimar (1925): Named after the garden in Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in Pakistan after Karachi. Historically the main city of the undivided Punjab, it is often called the Garden of Mughals because of its rich Mughal heritage...
, built by Shah JahanShahab-ud-din Muhammad Shah Jahan I was the ruler of the Mughal Empire in the Indian subcontinent from 1628 until 1658...
in memory of his wife, Shalimar is one of the first perfumes to successfully incorporate large amounts of vanillinVanillin, , is an organic compound with the molecular formula C
8H
8O
3. Its functional groups include aldehyde, ether, and phenol. It is the primary component of the extract of the vanilla bean. It is also found in roasted coffee and the Chinese red pine...
in its composition. The scent of Shalimar is deep and velvetly black with the scent of lemon hinted medicinal vanilla. This is the flagship perfume of the House of Guerlain.
Products
Guerlain's creations have long influenced the trends of perfumery with fragrances such as
Jicky,
Shalimar, and
Vétiver. Guerlain is among the few older houses (such as
CaronParfums Caron is a French perfume house, established by Ernest Daltroff in 1904.-External links:**...
) that exist solely to produce and market perfumes. (Nowadays this includes a range of makeup and skincare products.) Many brands in the perfume industry, such as
ChanelChanel S.A., commonly known as Chanel , is a Parisian fashion house founded by the late couturier Coco Chanel, recognized as one of the most chic in the haute couture...
,
Jean PatouJean Patou was a French fashion designer.- Early life :Patou was born in Normandy, France in 1880. Patou's family's business was in tanning and furs. Patou worked with his uncle in Normandy, then moved to Paris in 1910, intent on becoming a couturier.-1910s - World War I and later:In 1912 he...
and
GucciThe House of Gucci mane, better known as Gucci , is a Florentine fashion and leather goods label, part of the Gucci Group, which is owned by French company Pinault-Printemps-Redoute...
, are in fact divisions of fashion houses, which produce perfumes as part of a broader range of products.
Since its foundation in 1828 Guerlain has created over 300 fragrances. A non-exhaustive list is as follows:
- Eau de Cologne impériale, 1853
- Fleur d'Italie,1884
- Skine, 1885
- Rococo, 1887
- Jicky, 1889
- Excellence, 1890
- Belle France, 1892
- Cipricime, 1894
- Eau de Cologne du coq, 1894
- Jardin de mon curé, 1895
- Voilà pourquoi j'aimais Rosine, 1900
- Mouchoir de Monsieur, 1904
- Champs Élysées, 1904
- Après l'ondée, 1906
- Kadine, 1911
- L'Heure bleue, 1912
- Mitsouko, 1919
- Shalimar, 1925
- Liu, 1929
- Vol de Nuit, 1933
|
Vega, 1936
Ode, 1955
Vetiver, 1956
Chant d'Aromes, 1962
Habit Rouge, 1965
Chamade, 1969
L'eau de Guerlain, 1974
Parure, 1975
First, 1976
Silences, 1978
Nahéma, 1979
Jardins de Bagatelle, 1983
Derby, 1985
Samsara, 1989
Héritage, 1992
Petit Guerlain, 1994
Un Air de Samsara, 1996
Champs-Élysées, 1996
Guerlinade, 1998
L'Ame d'un Héros, 1998 |
Terracotta, 1999
Belle Epoque, 1999
Cherry Blossom, 1999
Aqua Allegoria Pamplelune, 1999
Philtre d'Amour, 2000
Aqua Allegoria Flora Nerolia, 2000
Too Much, 2000
Météorites, 2000
Coriolan, 1998
Mahora, 2000
Purple Fantasy, 2001
L'Instant de Guerlain, 2003
Cuir Beluga, 2005
Bois d'Arménie, 2006
Insolence, 2006
L'Instant Magic, 2007
My Insolence, 2007
Iris Ganache, 2007
Cruel Gardenia, 2008
Aqua Allegoria Figue-Iris, 2008
Guerlain Homme, 2008
My Insolence, 2009 |
LVMH Reformulates Perfumes
Since its acquisition by LVMH, Guerlain has reformulated some of its classics for health compliance reasons. These could potentially mean the end of the traditional formulations of many classics such as Mitsouko and Shalimar.
External links